Four things that can help your preaching NOT SUCK

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   There are many things that can make sermon delivery effective (and yes, prayer is a given). I want to talk about four that I believe are vital in becoming a strong communicator: passion, context, relevancy, and authenticity. 
  • Passion is the driving force of the sermon; passion is contagious and causes both response and participation from the people. A passion-less preacher means he isn't passionate about the gospel, which means...he probably shouldn't be preaching. On a side note, passion is not defined by how loud or how exuberant a person speaks; more so, passion is the expression of the heart and what we really believe. 
  • Contextualizing is huge in sermon delivery. If you want to kill a sermon, take it out of context. I have always told the guys I coach, "Every scripture has one literal meaning and one million applications." If you want to make good applications, then make sure you understand what context the scripture was written in. With today's online commentaries and resources, anyone can make that happen. 
  • Relevancy is the key to draw people into the word of God. While the Bible was written thousands of years ago, the Word of God is ageless and timeless and speaks into today and tomorrow. When God gives you something to share, be sure to apply it to real life situations that people are dealing with today. Relevant preaching touches the pulse of the church. 
  • Authenticity is the most important ingredient of sermon delivery. You can have all the passion, contextualization, and relevancy you want; but without authenticity, it doesn't matter. People believe and follow what is real; they want honest originality and so does God. God created you to be you. I saw the coolest saying on a car commercial the other day that sums it up. "Be You...Everyone else is taken." There's nothing wrong with having mentors or coaches, but never lose who you are. 
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